TAPESTRIES 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/tapestriesOOwmba 


“"IPS*  \ 

p yv-'- 


The  modern  tapestries 
in  this  hook,  including 
the  Late  Gothic  Hunt- 
ing Scene  illustrated  in 
color  on  the  opposite 
page,  were  woven  on 
our  own  looms  at 
Williamsbridge.  The 
ancient  ones  were  pur - 
chased  by  us  in 
Europe,  and  are  on 
exhibition  and  sale  at 
our  showrooms,  715 
Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  and  602  South 
Michigan  Avenue, 
Chicago. 


TAPESTRY  was  the  first  word  in  decorative  textiles.  It 
is  also  the  last.  When  primitive  man  wished  to  make  fig- 
ured stuffs  on  his  crude  loom,  he  wove  tapestry  because  it 
was  easiest.  At  the  Gobelins,  Beauvais,  Aubusson,  Merton, 
and  Williamsbridge,  tapestry  is  still  woven  slowly  and  pa- 
tiently by  hand,  because  no  jacquard  product  can  successfully 
imitate  its  wonderful  texture. 

The  origin  of  tapestry,  it  is  vain  to  seek.  It  long  antedates 
all  written  records.  It  marks  the  beginning  of  civilization. 

It  was  tapestry  that  Penelope  wove  while  waiting  for  the 
return  of  Ulysses,  unravelling  at  night  what  she  had  ac- 
complished by  day,  in  order  to  postpone  the  completion  of 
the  piece,  which  she  had  promised  should  be  the  signal  for 
her  to  accept  the  suit  of  one  of  the  royal  wooers.  At  the 
time  of  Hector’s  death,  Andromache  was  weaving  for  him  a 
shroud  in  tapestry.  When  Iris  summoned  Helen  of  Troy 
to  witness  the  combat  between  Menelaus  and  Paris: 

Her  in  the  palace  at  her  loom  she  found; 

The  golden  web  her  own  sad  story  crowned, 

The  Trojan  wars  she  weaved  (herself  the  prize) 

And  the  dire  triumphs  of  her  fatal  eyes. 

While  no  Homeric  tapestries  have  been  preserved,  there  are 
in  the  Museum  of  the  Hermitage  in  St.  Petersburg  several 
Greek  specimens  dating  from  400  B.  C.  Like  other  ancient 
fabrics  they  were  preserved  by  burial,  the  grave  being  as 
kind  to  inanimate  objects  as  it  is  fatal  to  the  animate  ones. 
They  were  found  in  the  Tomb  of  the  Seven  Brothers  on  the 
northeast  shore  of  the  Black  Sea.  The  ornament  is  simple, 
in  one  case  floral,  in  another  a repeat  of  ducks  with  outspread 
wings. 

When  the  Romans  absorbed  Greece  and  Greek  art,  tapestry 


Copyright,  IQ12,  by  Wm.  Baumgarlen  b*  Co. 
All  rights  reserved 


weaving  continued  in  favor.  The  most  definite  and  interest- 
ing ancient  description  of  the  process  is  given  by  Ovid.  The 
goddess  Pallas  Athene — from  whom  the  city  of  Athens  was 
named  — has  been  challenged  by  the  mortal  Arachne  to  a 
trial  of  skill. 

Straight  to  their  posts  appointed  both  repair, 

And  fix  their  threaded  looms  with  equal  care; 

Around  the  solid  beam  the  web  is  tied, 

While  hollow  canes  the  parting  warp  divide; 

Thro’  which  with  nimble  flight  the  bobbins  play, 

And  for  the  weft  prepare  a way; 

The  weft  and  warp  unite,  pressed  by  the  toothy  slay. 
****** 

Pallas  in  figures  wrought  the  heav’nly  Pow’rs, 

And  Mars’s  Hill  among  th’Athenian  Tow’rs. 

On  lofty  Thrones  twice  six  Celestials  sate, 

Jove  in  the  midst,  and  held  their  warm  debate; 

The  Subject  weighty  and  well  known  to  Fame, 

From  whom  the  city  should  receive  its  name. 

The  subject  of  Arachne’s  tapestry  was  the  Loves  of  the  Gods. 
Her  work  was  so  obviously  superior  that  the  goddess  struck 
her  and  changed  her  into  a spider,  bidding  her  weave  on  for- 
ever. 

Between  the  tapestries  of  Ancient  Greece  and  Rome,  and 
the  Gothic  ones  of  the  Fourteenth  Century,  a long  period  of 
darkness  intervenes.  The  Coptic  and  Byzantine  and  Sa- 
racenic tapestries  of  the  Middle  Ages  were  of  the  same  primi- 
tive type  as  Ancient  Peruvian  and  Modern  Mexican  and 
Navajo  tapestries.  The  weaving  of  elaborate  pictures  was 
an  art  that  had  to  be  re-discovered  and  re-developed. 

Of  all  the  magnificent  sets  of  tapestries  that  written  records 
show  were  woven  in  the  Fourteenth  Century,  only  one  has 


Charles  Lebrun  s “ Feast  of  Bacchus,"  a Superb  Louis  XIV  Gobelin  Tapestry 


survived  — the  Apocalypse  set  at  the  Cathedral  of  Angers. 
Originally  there  were  90  scenes  on  7 pieces  18  feet  high  with  a 
combined  width  of  472  feet — 944  square  yards  in  all.  Some 
of  the  scenes  contain  more  than  25  personages.  Today  the 
height  is  only  14  feet  and  the  total  width  328  feet.  The 
floriated  bands  at  top  and  bottom,  and  the  inscriptions  be- 
neath the  scenes,  have  worn  away  during  the  course  of  500 
years.  Of  the  90  scenes,  70  remain  intact  and  there  are 
fragments  of  8 others,  while  12  have  entirely  disappeared. 

The  set  was  woven  for  the  Duke  of  Anjou  — brother  of 
Charles  V who  was  king  of  France  from  1364  to  1380 — to 
hang  in  the  chapel  of  his  chateau  at  Angers.  The  cartoonist 
was  Hennequin  de  Bruges,  Charles  V’s  court  painter,  whom 
the  Duke  of  Anjou  borrowed  for  the  purpose,  together  with 
an  illustrated  manuscript  of  the  Apocalypse,  which  is  now  in 
the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Cambrai.  The  cartoonist 
followed  the  manuscript  illustrations  closely. 

The  tapestries  were  woven  in  Paris  in  the  factory  of  Nicolas 
Bataille,  who  received,  as  the  treasury  books  of  the  Duke 
show,  3000  francs  for  three,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  1000  francs 
apiece  or  about  6^  francs  a square  yard.  The  value  of  the 
franc  then  was  about  $10,  and  the  total  cost  of  the  set  $60,000. 
When  tapestries  went  out  of  fashion  at  the  end  of  the  XVIII 
century,  the  Canons  of  the  Cathedral  of  Angers  decided  to  sell 
the  Apocalypse  tapestries  which  had  been  presented  to  the 
Cathedral  in  1480  by  King  Rene.  But  no  purchaser  could  be 
found.  So  against  their  will  they  were  obliged  to  retain  their 
greatest  treasure.  Not  believing  that  anything  Gothic  could 
be  beautiful,  they  decided  to  make  the  Apocalypse  tapestries 
useful.  They  employed  them  in  the  greenhouse  to  protect 
orange-trees  from  the  cold.  They  spread  them  over  parquet 


Flora,  One  of  a Set  of  Five  Seventeenth  Century  Brussels  Tapestries 


floors  while  the  ceilings  were  being  painted.  They  cut  them 
up  into  rugs  and  used  them  as  carpet  lining.  They  even 
nailed  them  in  strips  on  the  stalls  of  the  bishop’s  stable,  to 
prevent  the  horses  from  bruising  themselves. 

Finally,  in  1843,  a sale  was  effected.  These  priceless  examples 
of  the  art  of  the  XIV  century  brought  300  francs — $60. 
Fortunately  the  purchaser  was  wiser  than  the  administration, 
and  restored  them  to  the  Cathedral,  of  which  they  are  once 
again  the  chief  glory. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  XV  century,  the  art  of  weaving 
picture-hangings  had  reached  a high  point  of  perfection. 
Kings  and  great  nobles  vied  with  one  another  in  the  owner- 
ship of  magnificent  sets  rich  with  gold,  and  when  they  wished 
to  make  presents,  could  find  none  more  splendid  to  give  or 
welcome  to  receive  than  Arras  tapestries. 

Of  tapestries  woven  at  Arras,  however,  there  remains  only 
one  set  that  can  be  positively  identified,  the  Story  of  Saint 
Piat  and  Saint  Eleuthere  at  the  Cathedral  of  Tournai  in 
Belgium.  But  as  if  to  make  up  for  our  lack  of  information 
about  other  ancient  tapestries  that  may  have  been  woven  at 
Arras,  we  not  only  know  that  the  Saint  Piat  and  Saint  Eleu- 
there tapestries  were  woven  there,  but  we  also  know  the 
exact  month  and  year  of  their  completion,  the  name  of  the 
maker,  and  the  name  of  the  donor.  For  one  of  the  pieces 
now  lost  bore  the  following  inscription  which  was  fortunately 
copied  and  preserved  by  XVIII  century  writers: 


Renaissance  Tapestry  Picturing  a Scene  from  the  Trojan  War.  Hector  batters  down  the  door 


Ces  draps  furent  faicts  et  acheves 
En  Arras  par  Pierrot  Fere 
L’an  mil  quatre  cent  et  deux 
En  Decembre  mois  gracieux 

and  a little  lower  down: 

Veuillez  a Dieu  tous  saincts  prier 
Pour  l’ame  de  Toussant  Prier 

which  translated  read: 

These  cloths  were  made  and  completed 

In  Arras  by  Pierrot  Fere 

The  year  one  thousand  four  hundred  two 

In  December  gracious  month 

Will  all  the  saints  kindly  pray  to  God 

For  the  soul  of  Toussaint  Prier. 


Of  us  ;11  eiiropaai  jjf 

dalle  fer-mt  helldx)ntem 

cm  bc-Kacrix  arthenia  ,fert  fuppetas  .fcg 


This  Toussaint  Prier  who  gave  the  tapes- 
tries to  the  Cathedral  of  Tournai  was  a 
canon  there  in  1402,  but  later  became 
chaplain  to  Philip  the  Good  and  died 
October  15,  1437. 

The  most  important  early  XV  century 
tapestry  in  the  United  States,  and  one 
that  deserves  to  be  mentioned  side  by 
side  with  the  treasures  of  Angers  and  of 
Tournai,  is  the  Burgundian  Sacraments 
presented  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
of  New  York  by  Mr.  Morgan.  It  now 
consists  of  five  fragments,  two  of  which 
contain  two  scenes  each,  making  seven 
scenes  in  all.  Originally  all  of  these  were 
part  of  one  very  large  tapestry  containing 
fourteen  scenes,  the  upper  seven  of 
which  illustrated  the  Origin  of  the  Seven 
Sacraments,  the  lower  seven  the  Seven 
Sacraments  as  Celebrated  in  the  XV 
Century.  Between  the  upper  and  lower 
rows  ran  a descriptive  series  of  French 
verses  in  Gothic  letters. 

This  splendid  tapestry  was  woven  in 
Bruges,  about  1440,  for  Philip  the  Good, 


Duke  of  Burgundy,  as  a decoration  for 
the  chamber  of  his  son,  the  youthful  Count 
of  Charolais,  known  to  history  as  the  rash 
and  unfortunate  Charles  the  Bold,  sever- 
al of  whose  tapestries,  captured  in  battle, 
have  since  been  in  the  Swiss  city  of  Berne. 
The  price  paid  by  Philip  was  317  livres 
and  the  weave  is  coarse,  about  12  ribs  to 
the  inch. 

Of  Gothic  verdures  with  personages,  none 
is  more  fascinating  than  the  Lady  with 
the  Unicorn,  a set  of  six  at  the  Cluny 
Museum.  What  the  story  is,  no  one 
knows.  There  is  absolutely  nothing  to 
justify  the  tradition  that  gives  them  an 
Oriental  origin  and  connects  them  with 


Renaissance  Tapestry  of  Unusual  Merit  as  Regards  both  Design  and  Weave 


Of  Van  Aelst’s  success  in  interpreting  the  cartoons  Vasari 
thirty  years  later  wrote:  “One  is  astonished  at  the  sight  of 

this  series.  The  execution  is  marvelous.  One  can  hardly 
imagine  how  it  was  possible,  with  simple  threads,  to  produce 
such  delicacy  in  the  hair  and  beards  and  to  express  the  sup- 
pleness of  flesh.  It  is  a work  more  Godlike  than  human; 
the  waters,  the  animals,  and  the  habitations  are  so  perfectly 
represented  that  they  appear  painted  with  the  brush  not 
woven.” 

However,  in  the  midst  of  all  these  Italian  Renaissance  pic- 
tures, there  were  two  Flemish  painters  who  held  their  own — 
Barend  Van  Orley  and  Lucas  Van  Leyden.  To  the  latter  are 
attributed  the  Months  of  Lucas  in  12  pieces;  to  the  former  the 
Hunts  of  Maximilian  in  12  pieces,  otherwise  known  as  the 
Belles  Chasses  de  Guise  because  of  the  famous  set  owned  by 
the  Duke  of  Guise,  woven  by  Francois  Geubels  of  Brussels, 
and  now  in  the  Louvre.  Both  sets  were  immensely  popular 
in  the  XVII  and  XVIII  centuries  as  well  as  in  the  XV  century, 
and  both  were  reproduced  at  the  Gobelins  over  and  over  again. 
Another  important  set  in  seven  pieces  designed  by  Van  Orley, 
of  which  the  Louvre  has  the  original  sketches,  was  the  Battle 
of  Pavia  presented  by  the  Netherlands  to  Charles  V in  1531. 
It  illustrates  the  Capture  of  Francis  I,  his  Departure  for  Spain 
and  his  Captivity  at  Madrid. 

For  two  and  a half  centuries  the  name  most  famous  in  tapes- 
try weaving  has  been  the  Gobelins,  since  September,  1667, 
when  Colbert,  as  it  is  put  in  French  by  the  inscription  on  the 
right  of  the  entrance  gate,  “established  in  the  buildings  of 
the  Gobelins  the  furniture  factory  of  the  Crown  under  the 
direction  of  Charles  Lebrun.” 


The  Gobelins  is  a most  interesting  place,  open  to  visitors  on 
Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons  from  i to  3.  The  trip  is 
an  easy  one  by  street  car  or  motor  bus  from  the  Halles  across 
to  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine  and  out  the  Avenue  des  Gobelins. 
The  entrance  to  the  courtyard  of  the  establishment  with  LES 
GOBELINS  on  the  gate  beneath  RF  is  simple  but  impressive. 
On  each  side  of  the  gate  are  tablets  bearing  inscriptions. 

The  one  on  the  left  shows  where  the  works  got  the  name: 
"Jean  and  Philibert  Gobelin,  merchant  dyers  of  scarlet,  who 
have  left  their  name  to  this  quarter  of  Paris  and  to  the 
tapestry  factory,  had  their  works  here  at  the  end  of  the 
XV  century.” 

Part  of  the  inscription  of  the  right  of  the  entrance  gate  of  the 
Gobelins  has  already  been  quoted.  The  rest  reads:  "April, 
1601,  Marc  de  Comans  and  Francois  de  la  Planche,  Flemish 
tapestry  weavers,  instal  their  workrooms  on  the  Banks  of  the 
Bievre.” 

Although  the  partnership  was  formed  and  became  active  in 
January,  1601,  for  the  manufacture  of  tapestries  and  other 
commercial  operations  in  France,  the  Royal  Edict  of  Henry 
IV  officially  incorporating  the  business,  is  dated  1607.  It 
was  a copy  of  this  edict  that  helped  the  English  organize  the 
works  at  Mortlake. 

The  Manufacture  Royale  des  Meubles  de  la  Couronne  formally 
established  at  the  Gobelins  by  royal  decree  in  1667,  with 
Charles  Lebrun  as  art  director,  was  not  merely  a tapestry 
factory.  It  was  a general  furniture  factory  as  the  word 
meubles  suggests — a factory  for  the  preparation  of  the  various 
kinds  of  interior  decorations  and  furnishings  needed  for  the 
royal  residences  of  Louis  XIV.  To-day  the  activities  of  the 
Gobelins  are  confined  to  tapestries  and  savonnerie  rugs. 


The  tapestries  that  made  the  Gobelins  famous  were  those  magnificent  compositions  assoctuieu 
Residences.  To  the  latter  series  belongs  the  Chateau  de  Chambord  illustrated  above , which  sitrpas 
the  French  National  Collection.  For  details , see  M.  Fenaille’s  monumental  volumes  on  the  Gobe 


personality  of  Louis  XIV the  two  series  picturing  the  Story  of  the  King  and  the  Royal 

not  only  other  Gobelins  in  the  United  States,  but  also  the  other  Gobelins  on  the  same  subject  in 


The  tapestry  part  of  the  plant  was  not  created  new  or  im- 
ported from  Flanders.  It  was  a combination  of  various 
tapestry  works  already  established — those  of  Planche  and 
Comans,  of  theTrinite  and  the  Louvre,  and  of  Maincy,  from 
which,  after  the  fall  and  disgrace  of  Foucquet  came  Lebrun 
to  satisfy  Louis  XIV’s  desire  to  emulate  the  example  of 
decorative  magnificence  set  by  his  financial  minister. 

For  the  supplying  of  new  tapestry  designs,  Charles  Lebrun 
had  many  capable  assistants,  at  the  head  Adam  Francois 
Vandermeulen  who  entered  the  service  of  Louis  XIV  in  1664, 
and  remained  there  until  his  death  in  1691. 

The  Royal  Residences  show  the  12  palaces  that  the  King 
liked  best,  used  to  background  hunting  scenes,  promenades, 
cavalcades,  balls — each  scene  appropriate  to  the  time  of  year 
— framed  on  each  side  by  columns  and  pilasters,  while  in  the 
foreground  valets  in  the  royal  livery  spread  rich  stuffs  over 
the  balustrades.  During  the  King’s  life  it  was  rewoven  at 
the  Gobelins  more  often  than  any  other  set. 

The  greatest  series  of  all,  and  the  one  that  first  suggests 
itself  to  all  who  know  about  Gobelin  tapestries,  is  the  Story 
of  the  King.  Here  we  find  the  solemn  and  official  glorification 
of  all  of  the  important  events  of  the  life  of  Louis  XIV  during 
the  first  twelve  years  of  his  reign. 

As  the  King  grew  older  and  France  less  successful  in  war  and 
commerce,  the  opportunities  for  glorification  became  fewer. 
The  nature  of  the  subjects  chosen  for  tapestry  changed.  In- 
stead of  the  Story  of  the  King,  we  have  the  Story  of  Moses  in 
ten  pieces,  8 after  Poussin,  2 after  Lebrun.  Even  before  this, 
ancient  models  had  been  reproduced,  notably  Raphael’s 
famous  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  But  now  there  was  a distinct 


movement  backwards,  away  from  contemporary  history  to 
Biblical  and  Greek  and  Roman,  and  to  the  reproduction  of 
XVI  century  cartoons. 

Of  all  XVIII  century  Gobelin  tapestries,  the  Don  Quixote 
series  was  most  admired  and  most  reproduced.  All  the  28 
scenes  were  the  works  of  Charles  Coypel,  who  was  barely  20 
when  he  completed  the  first  in  1714,  which  for  a long  time 
caused  part  of  the  credit  to  be  given  to  his  father  Antoine. 
Charles  Coypel  added  a scene  a year  until  1734,  and  finally 
in  1751,  a few  years  before  his  death,  the  last,  "Don  Quixote 
with  the  Kitchen  Maids.” 

While  the  Furniture  Factory  of  the  Crown  at  the  Gobelins 
was  a State  institution  organized  by  Colbert  to  produce 
tapestries  and  other  art  objects  for  the  King,  the  business  at 
Beauvais  was  a private  one  established  by  Louis  Hinart,  a 
native  of  Beauvais  who  was  an  experienced  maker  and  mer- 
chant of  tapestries,  having  a shop  in  Paris  where  he  disposed 
of  the  goods  made  at  his  factory  in  Flanders.  Colbert  gave 
him  every  encouragement  to  transfer  his  looms  to  France, 
and  on  August  5,  1664,  the  King  signed  an  edict  subsidizing 
and  conferring  special  privileges  on  "the  royal  manufactures 
of  high  and  low  warp  tapestries  established  at  Beauvais  and 
other  places  in  Picardy.”  Of  the  amount  necessary  for  the 
acquisition  of  real  estate  and  buildings,  the  King  agreed  to 
advance  two-thirds,  up  to  30,000  livres.  The  king  also  lent 
Hinart  another  30,000  livres  for  the  purchase  of  wool,  silk, 
dyes,  etc. 

It  was  for  the  Beauvais  Tapestry  Works  that  Francois 
Boucher  made  his  most  famous  tapestry  designs.  In  1736 
the  Italian  Fetes  in  fourteen  pieces,  some  of  which  were  re- 


produced  sixteen  times  (113  tapestries 
in  all);  in  1741  the  Story  of  Psyche  in 
five  pieces,  reproduced  seven  or  eight 
times;  in  1743  the  Chinese  Set  for  which 
Dumons  painted  the  cartoons  after  Bou- 
cher’s sketches;  in  1749  the  Loves  of  the 
Gods  in  nine  pieces;  in  1752  Opera  Frag- 
ments in  five  pieces;  in  1764  the  Noble 
Pastoral  in  six  pieces  for  the  apartments 
of  the  Dauphine  at  Fontainebleau  (the 
Fountain  of  Love,  the  Flute  Player,  Bird 
Catching,  the  Fisherman,  the  Luncheon). 

Aubusson  tapestries  are  woven  in  the 
little  town  of  Aubusson  in  France,  207 
miles  by  rail  south  of  Paris.  In  1664 
the  tapestry  merchants  and  weavers  of 
Aubusson,  in  a report  to  the  King  on  the 
condition  of  the  manufacture,  declared 
that  it  had  been  "established  from  time 
immemorial,  no  person  knowing  the 


Tapestry  Woven  at  Williamsbridge , after  a Modern  Painting 


institution  of  it.”  But  the  first  documentary  evidence  that 
has  been  discovered  of  tapestries  woven  in  the  Aubusson 
district,  is  in  the  will  dated  1507  of  the  Duchess  of  Valen- 
tinois,  who  had  the  somewhat  doubtful  distinction  of 
being  the  widow  of  the  notorious  Caesar  Borgia.  In  the  will 
are  enumerated  numerous  tapestries  from  the  looms  of 
Felletin,  mostly  verdures,  several  of  them  being  described  as 
“tappicerie  de  Felletin  a feuillages.” 

Of  Italian  looms,  the  most  important  Fifteenth  Century  ones 
were  those  set  up  at  Mantua  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Gonzagas,  and  at  Ferrara  under  the  patronage  of  the  Estes. 
It  was  for  the  Mantuan  plant  that  Mantegna  painted  his 
famous  Triumphs  of  Caesar  acquired  over  a century  later  by 
Charles  I of  England,  and  now  at  Hampton  Court.  In  the 
Sixteenth  Century  the  Ferrara  works  were  revived  after  a 
long  period  of  rest  by  Duke  Hercules  II.  At  Florence  the 
Medici  imitated  the  example  of  the  Estes  and  for  two  hundred 
years — from  1546  to  1737  — the  Arazzeria  Medicea  flourished. 
The  proprietors  were  Jean  Roost  and  Nicolas  Karcher  who 
had  previously  been  employed  at  Ferrara. 


iTi/y  ij'i 

U»vs‘ppi>pppt>ppppppt>pppp  \X.  j 


The  most  famous  English  tapestry  works  were  at  Mortlake  near 
London,  established  in  1619  under  the  patronage  of  Charles 

I,  then  Prince  of  Wales,  and  his 

_____  bosom  friend  “Steenie”  the  Duke 

0f  Buckingham,  with  Sir  Francis 
Crane  as  proprietor,  Philip 
de  Maecht  as  manager, 
and  Francis  Cleyn  as  art 


Furniture  Coverings 
Woven  at 
Williamsbridge 


Tapestry  after  Boucher , Woven  at  Willianisbridg< 


director.  The  first  important  set  of  tapestries  woven  was 
Vulcan  and  Venus,  in  nine  pieces,  bearing  the  monogram  of 
Charles  in  cartouches  in  the  side  borders,  the  three  feathers 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  the  cartouche  in  the  top  border,  and 
in  the  bottom  border  four  sceptres  crossed  and  a ribbon  with 
the  inscription  in  Latin,  “Sceptres  foster  the  Arts.”  It  was 
for  the  Mortlake  works  that  Charles  bought  the  Raphael 
cartoons,  from  which  was  woven  the  splendid  set  now  in  the 
French  National  Collection.  The  prosperity  of  the  Mortlake 
Works  ended  with  the  death  of  Sir  Francis  in  1636. 

In  America  the  honor  of  introducing  the  art  of  tapestry  weav- 
ing belongs  to  the  late  William  Baumgarten,  who  in  January 
1893  set  up  the  first  loom  at  321  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York, 
with  M.  Foussadier  as  manager.  The  first  piece  of  tapestry 
woven,  he  set  aside  to  be  preserved  as  an  heirloom  in  his 
family.  The  second,  a duplicate  of  the  first,  is  in  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum  at  Chicago. 

Four  more  weavers  soon  followed  Mr.  Foussadier,  and  the 
infant  industry  was  moved  to  Williamsbridge  in  New  York 
City,  and  located  in  a building  formerly  a French  restaurant 
and  hotel,  in  the  midst  of  a French  colony  that  welcomed  the 
new  arrivals  from  Aubusson. 

The  first  year  was  employed  in  the  production  of  portieres, 
borders  and  furniture  coverings,  to  show  as  samples  in  secur- 
ing orders.  In  April,  1894,  an  exhibition  was  made  under  the 
auspices  of  the  National  Society  of  Sculpture,  and  Mr. 
Baumgarten  read  a paper  that  attracted  the  attention  of  art 
lovers  all  over  the  country.  The  next  month  the  exhibition 
was  continued  at  the  Baumgarten  showrooms  on  Fifth  Avenue, 
and  the  opportunity  came  to  execute  an  important  commission 
for  Mr.  Widener,  of  Philadelphia,  amounting  to  over  $20,000. 


A much  damaged  fragment  of  Sixteenth  Century  Tapestry , being  repaired  at  Wil- 
liamsbridge.  When  the  repairs  were  completed , it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  the 
slightest  difference  between  the  old  parts,  and  the  neiv  parts  built  upon  the  new 
warp  threads  that  are  prominent  in  our  illustration . 


It  included  thirteen  wall  panels,  in  the 
pastoral  style  of  Boucher,  with  furniture 
coverings  and  portieres  to  match,  and 
was  on  the  looms  for  fifteen  months. 

Mr.  Widener’s  tapestries  were  hardly 
begun  when  through  the  influence  of  the 
architects,  McKim,  Mead  & White,  an 
important  order  was  received  for  wall 
panels  in  the  Director’s  Room  of  the 
New  York  Life  Insurance  Company. 
They  were  in  coarse  point — landscape 
effects  with  columns  and  draperies. 
Among  other  important  commissions 
have  been  wall  panels,  draperies  and  fur- 
niture coverings  for  Mrs.  Sheperd’s  din- 
ing room  in  Scarborough;  verdures  for 
the  hall,  figure  panels  for  the  music-room 
and  hunting  scenes  for  the  frieze  of  the 
breakfast  room,  of  Mr.  Harrison,  of 
Glenside,  Pa. ; large  Boucher  panels  with 


Slimmer,  one 
of  a set  of  the 
Four  Seasons 
designed  by 
Wm.  Baum  gar  ten 
Co., and 
Woven  at 
Williamsbridge 


sofas,  tapestry  panels  for  screens,  and  tapestry  rugs  (popu- 
larly called  Aubussons)  for  floors.  Among  such  rugs  designed 
and  woven  for  clients  last  year,  was  one  35  feet  square. 

Through  their  Paris  house,  Wm.  Baumgarten  & Co.,  are  ex- 
tensive importers  of  antique  tapestries,  rugs,  furniture  and 
other  works  of  art.  The  collection  of  Flemish  and  Italian 
XVI  century  tapestries,  and  of  French  XVII  and  XVIII 
century  tapestries,  shown  in  their  New  York  galleries,  would 
enrich  a museum.  The  collections  of  antique  furniture  and 
Oriental  rugs  are  also  noteworthy. 

As  decorators  and  furnishers,  Wm.  Baumgarten  & Co.,  are 
in  a position  to  guarantee  perfect  workmanship,  as  well  as 
superior  artistic  quality.  Besides  the  tapestry  works,  they 
also  have  their  own  Compo  and  Caen  Stone,  Furniture  and 
Woodworking,  and  Upholstery  and  Drapery  plants,  in  New 
York  City.  This  means  much  to  those  who  have  suffered 
from  the  inferior  manner  in  which  “farmed-out”  contracts 
are  often  filled. 

Correspondence  relative  to  tapestries  and  decorations  should 
be  addressed  to  the  new  shop  at  715  Fifth  Avenue,  where 
visitors  are  welcome,  and  where  appointments  will  be  made 
for  those  interested  to  visit  the  tapestry  works  at  Williams- 
bridge. 

WM.  BAUMGARTEN  & CO. 

715  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York 

12  Place  Vendome  602  South  Michigan  Avenue 

Paris  Chicago 


Renaissance  Screen  with  Ancient  Tapestry  Panels 


